While our group was staying in Tirano, we took advantage of our proximity to the Swiss border to ride the Bernina Express train into Switzerland. It runs from Tirano to St. Moritz , a distance of about 38 miles, and travels through beautiful scenic areas. Rather than taking the non-stop train that’s popular with tourists, we were taking the commuter train because we were only going as far as the Diavolezza station, about 27 miles from Tirano.
Our tour leader told us to wear our warmest clothes and to make sure we had our passports. As soon as we entered the Rhaetian railway station in Tirano, we were officially in Swiss territory. Our Swiss guide, Stefano, was waiting for us at the station.
The Bernina Express has been running since 1910. The distinctive red train cars run on a narrow gauge track that’s three feet wide. The train runs every day of the year whatever the weather.
We started out with a slow ride through the city of Tirano. Since the train is electric, it was very quiet, and within a few minutes, we were outside the city.
Consulting the map, I saw that the train would be stopping at several stations before reaching our destination, Diavolezza.
The track ran along the eastern edge of the Val Poschiavo. This valley is home to about 5000 people. The town of Poschiavo has about 2000 residents, the majority of whom speak Italian. Poschiavo is located in Switzerland’s largest canton, Grizonce in Italian (Graubünden in German), where the three official languages are German, Italian, and Romansh (a mixture of Italian, German, and French). Each of Switzerland’s 26 cantons has its own official language(s) and each municipality has a primary official language. In Poschiavo, it’s Italian whereas in Diavolezza, also in the canton of Grizonce, the primary official language is Swiss German. It’s no wonder that most people are multilingual.
Of course, we were constantly falling all over each other to take pictures from the train windows. The green hillsides dazzled in the morning sun, and about 20 minutes into the trip, we spotted our first waterfall.
Soon we reached Lake Poschiavo with its clear emerald waters. We were already at 962 meters (3516 feet) above sea level. Trout fishing at the lake is a popular activity and boats with engines are not allowed. The lake also serves as a reservoir for several hydroelectric plants.
We continued to gain altitude as we journeyed north through the idyllic countryside. Sheep were grazing outside the small towns. Most of the people who live in this area are farmers.
Pine trees and larch trees covered the hillsides. Both have cones and needles. However, unlike the evergreen pines, larch trees are deciduous and shed their needles in the fall. In the spring, tiny tinges of green appear on their naked branches.
About an hour into our journey, we left the Val Poschiavo and reached the Alp Grüm station. We had crossed the language border, i.e. the invisible line separating Italian speaking territory from Swiss German and Romansh speaking areas. At 6860 feet above sea level, Alp Grüm can only be reached by train, foot, or mountain bike. We were now in glacier country. There are 45 glaciers, but due to global warming, only seven are expected to survive. Water from the Palü glacier feeds into Lake Palü.
Just north of Alp Grüm is the Ospizio Bernina station, located on the shores of Lago Bianco (White Lake) near the Bernina Pass and above the tree line. The lake water comes from the glaciers. At an elevation of 7400 feet above sea level, Ospizio-Bernina is the highest stop on the train route.
Large areas of morain, the residue left behind by receding glaciers, covered the ground as we approached Diavolezza.
At last, about an hour and twenty minutes after leaving Tirano, we reached the Diavolezza station. A short walk brought us to the cable car for the 7-minute ride up to the ski resort.
When we stepped out of the cable car at an elevation of 2978 meters (9770 feet), the temperature was a chilly 33 degrees Fahrenheit. The sun was shining and the air was pure and clean. Several late season skiers were preparing for their runs down the slopes. From the viewing terrace, I looked out in wonder at the wide expanse of the Bernina Range of the Eastern Alps, including Mount Bernina, the highest peak at 13,281 feet.
At the resort’s restaurant, we enjoyed a hearty Swiss lunch of chestnut pappardelle with venison sauce – real mountaineer food. At the urging of our local guide, we also sampled Rivella, the unique Swiss soft drink, and tried to guess its secret ingredient. It tasted a little bit like ginger ale. None of us guessed that its base ingredient was milk whey.
Then it was time for the descent. Once again, there were magnificent views from the cable car.
Within minutes, trees reappeared.
And then we were back on the Bernina Express headed to TIrano. It was time for more photo-taking of glaciers, larch and pine trees, green hillsides, and cows grazing. It was amazing how the landscape changed so quickly.
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